“Bring the backpack with you,” he instructed.
“Why?”
“I don’t want to leave it unaccompanied in the car.”
I grabbed the bag from the back seat and slipped on my jacket since it had started to drizzle.
“Ready?” Gabriel asked.
“Sure.” Though, I was unsure of how his brother would react to us showing up unannounced.
We set off down the street, passing teashops and bookstores. The university was ahead of us and grew larger in size as we walked. Students all around us sped by on their way to class.
“Where do we go?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” Gabriel eyed his surroundings. “We need to find a directory of faculty.”
“The library might have that on their computers.”
Gabriel stopped a student passing by. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah?” the guy answered.
“Where is your nearest library?”
“Over there.” The guy pointed. “Follow this path a little way. It should be on the right.”
We thanked the guy and set off in the general direction. When we found the library, I took the lead.
Walking up to the circulation desk, I asked, “Excuse me, is there a computer I can use? I’m a prospective student and I’m trying to locate a certain professor.”
“Of course.” The librarian came around from behind the desk and escorted us to a computer station. She logged on for me and pulled up the university’s directory.
“Thank you.”
“Absolutely.” She smiled. “Let me know if I can assist you with anything else.”
Gabriel stepped to my side when she left. “That was smart. Good thinking.”
“Thanks. Now, you said his name is Zadkiel. I highly doubt he goes by that, but let’s go to the Z page.”
There were several Zachary and Zacharia entries. None of them seemed right.
“Wait,” Gabriel said.
I stopped scrolling.
“There.” He pointed to a name onscreen.
It read Zak Leid. I chuckled at the anagram, then covered my mouth to quiet myself since we were in a library. Gabriel shot me a look.
“What?” I whispered. “I thought your last name was bad enough.”
I remembered the moment I first saw Gabriel’s passport. I found it funny he went by Gabriel Maestro, given his musical talent.
Entertained by my amusement, Gabriel picked up a tiny wooden pencil and a small piece of paper. He wrote down the office number associated with Zak Leid.
“Okay, are we done here?”
“Yes,” I said, logging off the computer.
We left the library and headed to the Humanities building. The vast lawns were deserted since everyone was taking shelter from the persistent rain. I pulled my hood closer to my face and followed Gabriel, nearly running into him when he stopped just shy of the building’s steps.
“Zadkiel!” he called out to the back of a solitary figure hurrying up the steps.
At the mention of his name, the figure halted.
Turning slowly to face us, Zadkiel stared at Gabriel. The two of them remained in that position for quite some time, sizing each other up while the rain drenched each of them. I noticed Zadkiel was of average height, with dark brown hair covered by a flat cap. He wore dress pants and a sweater with a sports coat over it, and his equally dark brown eyes registered both shock and annoyance at the sight of Gabriel. He turned his back to us and continued his trip inside—though, this time, at a slower pace.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a British accent when Gabriel caught up and began to walk in step with him.
I trailed behind them, close enough to hear everything they said.
“You know why I’m here. You didn’t answer the call. None of you did.”
Zadkiel stopped. “No one answered?”
“No, which is why I had to come find you.”
They resumed their stride, navigating the halls to Zadkiel’s office.
“Gabriel, I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m not going with you. I don’t want to be a part of whatever is happening. I have a life now.”
“A life! None of that should matter. We have a duty to fulfill.”
We arrived at Zadkiel’s office door, and the angel pulled keys out of his leather shoulder bag to unlock it. “I understand that, but—”
“Professor Leid!” a girl called, walking quickly down the hall toward him.
Sighing, Zadkiel turned to her. “Hello, Margaret. How are you?”
“I’m good. I was wondering if you had time to discuss some questions I have about today’s lecture?”
Looking at Gabriel, he said, “Unfortunately, I’m unavailable. A family emergency has come up.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Well, I’m sure we can meet another time…” The girl glanced at me and Gabriel, clearly wondering how we were related to the professor. The sour look on her face as she waved goodbye showed her annoyance at us for interfering with her time.
Zadkiel stepped into his office, gesturing Gabriel inside. I followed suit, closing the door behind me.
The office was spacious and cozy, its walls lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, with two armchairs for guests and a reading nook in the corner. There was a large window speckled with raindrops that illuminated the space in a blue-gray tone. On top of the neatly organized desk was a reading lamp, and when the angel switched it on, it bathed the mahogany desktop in a warm orange glow.
Zadkiel turned to face us after placing his bag, hat, and jacket on a coat rack. “Gabriel, nothing you say will change my mind.” Then, he noticed me. With a frown, he asked, “Who’s the boy?”
We spoke at once.
“I’m not a boy—”
“His name is Jordan—”
Silence ensued. Zadkiel’s eyes landed on the backpack.
“What’s inside the bag?” he asked, looking to Gabriel.
“We’re not sure. It was sealed shut.”
He adamantly shook his head. “No. I will not be a part of this.”
“Zadkiel, you don’t understand. Jordan is the sign we were told to wait and watch for.”
“I do understand, Gabriel!” he exclaimed. “Truly, I do, but the energy of whatever is inside that bag makes me nervous.”
“Why?” Gabriel stepped forward. “I detect it too, but that only means it’s powerful.”
“No,” Zadkiel whispered. “It’s different for me. As an angel of teaching, I have encountered such an item before. You have too, Gabriel, although indirectly.”
I could tell Gabriel didn’t know what Zadkiel meant, which reassured me, because I had no idea what they were talking about either.
“What are you saying?” he asked. “What do you think is inside?”
“The Book of Prophecies. The last time it surfaced, you know what a disaster it caused for us. It started a war and brought destruction to Heaven.”
“But…that can’t be. How could it have gotten here?”
Zadkiel scoffed. “Gabriel, don’t be so foolish. You know as well as I do, Father has many means to make things happen. Sending the book to Earth is not beyond Him.”
Clearly understanding, Gabriel nodded. “Well, Satan’s after it again.”
“Of course he is. It’s become his obsession, especially now he’s locked in Hell.”
“When did that happen?”
“I’m not sure. It’s been several years. He has Lucifer doing his bidding, which is why most humans confuse the two. Lucifer is the one who has been on Earth lately, not Satan. And they are most certainly not one and the same, as you and I well know.”
“How do you know about this?”
Zadkiel chuckled. “Because I’m an angel of teaching. We are constantly aware of the knowledge that pertains to our world even if we no longer dwell there.” He looked at me. “Where does the boy fit in?”
They might have been talking in English, but everything they were saying
was utterly foreign to me. I looked to Gabriel for an answer.
“A member of the Sacrarium gave him the backpack. He was then chased by The Six.”
Zadkiel sized me up. “And he made it out alive?”
I shrugged. “I think I was just lucky.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to offend. It’s just…although you’re quite tall, you seem a little scrawny to fight the fallen.”
Great. Now I was being judged by angels. I knew I wasn’t particularly muscular or athletic, but I had time to grow yet. Still, both Gabriel and Zadkiel seemed strong and capable of vanquishing fallen angels, unlike me.
Gabriel continued to explain my situation, telling Zadkiel all about Sister Helen, the orphanage, and the situation with my parents. “I was hoping you could teach him,” he finished.
“Me?”
“He needs to be trained. I only know so much, and when I do tell him things, my explanations are quite horrible.”
“They’re not horrible,” I said to make Gabriel feel better. “This whole situation is just confusing. Like now, for instance. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Gabriel could see the frustration in my eyes. “Jordan, I’m sorry. It’s—”
“Not time for you to know,” Zadkiel interjected.
I opened my mouth to protest.
“We are not trying to keep secrets from you,” he continued, holding up his hand to stop my rebuttal. “We are merely trying to protect you until you’re ready to know the truth. Now is not the time.”
“Why not?”
“Because neither Gabriel nor I have the tools to teach you at the moment. And without the proper tools, your learning will suffer. I can tell, you are very bright and perceptive, Jordan, but your mind is not in the right place yet. We will know when you are ready to be taught because you will come to us with the right questions. For now, you must take this journey and give yourself time to perceive and analyze the situation. Take in what we are saying and try to be open-minded. Do not let anger or frustration rule you because that leads to dark paths. When the questions arrive, I will be there to teach you the answers.”
“Does that mean you’re coming with us?” I tried to process his words.
“Yes. From the moment I saw Gabriel, I knew I would be leaving with him. He never takes no for an answer.”
Gabriel shrugged, a tiny smile showing on his face.
“So,” Zadkiel asked, “who else have you found?”
“Just you so far,” I supplied.
He sighed.
“We know where the others are,” Gabriel said.
“Not specifically,” I corrected.
Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“Sorry, I just feel he should know the magnitude of the situation.”
“Why me first?” Zadkiel asked.
“Your location was revealed to us first,” Gabriel explained.
“Who was second? Or, where was second?”
“Australia,” I said. “The Gibson Desert, to be more precise.”
Once again, Zadkiel laughed. “Only one of us would be caught dead in the middle of a desert.”
“I was thinking the same,” Gabriel replied.
“Who?”
“Uriel,” they answered in unison.
“Does he like the heat or something?”
They both laughed.
“No,” Gabriel said. “He likes nature.”
“Let me guess, he’s an angel of nature.”
“Correct.” Zadkiel smiled.
“I suppose we have to go to Australia then?”
“Yes, we will, but you need rest first,” Gabriel warned.
“You can stay at my place,” Zadkiel offered. “I just need to gather a few things first.”
He went about his office collecting books and tidying things up. Half an hour later, he finally announced, “All right, everything seems to be in order.” There was a considerable number of books stacked up on his desk and even more in his arms.
“Do you need help?” I asked.
“Yes, please. Here are some tote bags to put all the books in.” He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out the bags, which he handed to me. “While you do that, I’ll put these books in my shoulder bag.” He gestured to the ones in his arms.
As soon as all the bags were full, the three of us left his office, Zadkiel closing the door and locking it on the way out. We headed out of the Humanities building and down to the parking lot, where Zadkiel scribbled his address on the slip of paper he handed to Gabriel. He then readjusted his load and took the books from me.
“I’ll see you there. And I’ll make sure to have something for you to eat.”
I smiled gratefully.
Zadkiel loaded his belongings into a black Mini Cooper and zoomed off, soon out of sight. The thought of angels driving still perplexed me. Then again, I was in Oxford, England with two archangels, in possession of a mysterious backpack I’d been trusted to keep safe from Satan, and everything I’d known about my life so far was turning out to be one big lie.
Maybe angels behind the wheel wasn’t such a big deal after all.
15
Satan
Hell, Present Day
Freedom was a fickle thing. It was the answer to everything yet left a gaping ache in your soul when taken away. I had been free for centuries, able to roam from this forsaken realm into the human world without restriction, but now, that ability had been taken from me.
I wanted to know why, so I requested the services of an ancient seer and sorcerer, but neither spirit was delivered to me by Leviathan. Now, I had to traverse to the nether regions of Hell and find them myself.
Exiting my private quarters, I strode through the cavernous hall and entered the throne room. When two demonic servants came scrambling over to me, I instantly realized my mistake.
“Master, master,” they screeched, hobbling in my direction.
“What?” I demanded without slowing down.
“You have an audience, sir.”
I stopped abruptly, and the two idiotic demons almost careened into me. I glanced over my shoulder at the neatly lined-up spirits eagerly awaiting my presence. Standing nearby was Balberith, a fallen angel I’d appointed to tend to the spirits in the throne room. His job was to watch them, record their requests, and then escort them back to where they belonged. The demons often assisted him.
“Tell them I’m busy,” I barked, continuing on my way.
“As you wish, master.” They retreated back to the waiting spirits who, at my lack of interest, were growing restless.
“Wait, please!” one of the damned shouted.
I ignored him and kept walking.
He broke away from the crowd, evading Balberith as he tried to pacify the unsettled spirits, and approached me.
“I’ve been working my sentence for five hundred years,” the spirit said. “I was supposed to be freed centuries ago. Please, listen to me,” he implored, reaching out for my arm.
That was a big mistake.
As his fingers encircled my wrist, the Hellfire began to burn him. He cried out in agony but was unable to let go. Whenever someone involuntarily touched me, it was always an interesting sight to see. The Hellfire latched onto them like a magnet, refusing to release its prey until some force pulled them apart. Usually, that force was me, but this time I didn’t intervene.
While he screamed and writhed in pain, I waited for his plea.
“Please,” he gasped finally.
I glanced at the number branded on his wrist. The mark was a nine, which infuriated me even more.
“You think I should have sympathy for you when you’ve escaped from Misery and entered Elysium?”
His stare bore into mine, and there was a gleam of fear in his eyes.
My anger flared. The Hellfire increased. In a matter of seconds, the spirit disintegrated before my eyes into a pile of dust.
I brushed my hands together to get the residue off. “Clean this up,” I d
emanded.
“Yes, master.” The two demons rushed to the pile of dust and began to sweep it into The Pit with their hands.
“Does that always happen when someone touches you?” a brave spirit asked.
“Do not speak unless spoken to,” Balberith demanded.
I raised my hand to silence him and stared at the female spirit who had spoken, admiring her tenacity. “Yes, at any skin-to-skin contact.”
“Then I’ll make sure to never touch you,” she responded, turning her back and exiting the throne room. The other gathered spirits followed her lead, understanding I was in no mood to be benevolent.
Balberith quickly rushed after them.
With the spirits gone, I could get back to the task at hand. Yet I remained frozen in place. That woman had reminded me of someone. Lilith, with her flashy eyes and sleek hair, her stubbornness and determination, her curiosity and insight. I hadn’t seen her since my fall centuries ago, but her memory was always at the forefront of my mind. She was like a poisonous drug, infecting my soul and causing addiction. The only cure or fix was Lilith herself. She was unforgettable.
Shaking the image of her from my mind, I crossed the stone floor and made my way to The Pit, the bottomless hole that spanned the levels of Hell, which I often used as punishment for anyone who defied me in the throne room. The spirit who had touched me deserved the Hellfire because his presence up here was a clear act of resistance to the order of things. A trip through The Pit would have been insufficient for an offense so severe.
Stepping up to the hole, I placed my feet along the ledge.
When I fell from Heaven, my wings were so badly damaged I thought I might never be able to fly again. However, in the years since, they had fully healed. They had changed in color, from white to black, but that didn’t bother me. I was just satisfied I could still use them.
I closed my eyes and breathed in and out deeply, then dove headfirst into the void.
My body descended through the air like a bullet, fast and precise. When I came near to my destination, I spread my wings and eased up, slowing my freefall. The cold air ruffled my black feathers, a sensation I reveled in. Landing on a jutted cliff edge, I tucked my wings safely behind my back and strode forward, through the cave that acted as an entryway into Envy.
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